Title : Fusarium spp. as soilborne pathogens in black pepper plantations in the central highlands in Viet Nam and a sustainable remedy to control the problem
Abstract:
Vietnam is the largest producer of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) worldwide. Unfortunately, this has been achieved through intensive management of both land and crops for over thirty years, which has led to deterioration of soil health and increased the incidence of soilborne pests and diseases. For many years, oomycetes, including Phytophthora spp., Pythium spp., and Phytopythium spp., together with nematodes, have been considered the main infectious agents. However, our recent findings indicate that the fungi Fusarium spp. significantly contribute to the diseases associated with black pepper. We sampled soils and black pepper roots from highly infected plantations in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam and isolated 300 fungi from these samples. Among them, 23 isolates of Fusarium spp. showed pathogenicity after testing in the greenhouse. Bioinoculants were tested as an alternative to pesticides in field trials implemented on infected farms. Promising results showed that the application of bioinoculants could significantly reduce the population of these pathogens and contribute to the restoration of soil health in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam.
